New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-07
4E6 66zM:
WILSON BARRETr Az 6rtr6.


tributary to strong dramatic eject b therefore eosu4
and absolutely suitable for trestmens In drsns 80
bold and brilliant illustration In the play called oS
written by Wilson Barrett and Sidney Grundy 49,
had its first representation here last night q ne f
Theatre with Mr. Barrett and Miss Easake In - asaA
ing characters, Co and Hce and which was observed
with deep interest by full house.
Mr. Barretts embodiment of CIito Is remarkabs fes
passionate sincerity Indeed, the burning zeal via
which he saturatcs every particle Of the piece ssss far
toward creating and sustaining an Illusion WnSca
without 1t would be dubioua The play soma
what abounds In long explanatory speeches rather
| inaptly introduced and in Mr. Barrctts delivery
! OF some of them there is at times ceFan gibness
which imparts to them the air Of foe
recitation; but at moments requirin9Pcssenaiiy ORA
matte acton-at the discovery Of Rites Identity for
instance at the Of yielding to her wiles at tho
moment of defiance to Crias, and nc the hnai
discovery Of the sirens treachery-his imperial
manner. his passion and his impetuosiy pro-
duced the effect Of true dramatic art onos
exclamation OF Almighty Cod" occurring In piece
localized 400 c., might be spared 1t Is not the char
acer of Clo however but that Of Hee which imparts
essential vitality this piece Miss Eastiake astonshed
and almost dsmayed her hearers by the brutal hdely
with which she embodied thshdeous
righteousness specOus innocence, AMI besa ferociy
in womans shape Her OF the expcdient Of trans
parency-allowing the real nature to shine htfuly
through the artificial exteriorwas consummae and adj
mrabe The sole defect Of the work proceeded ous
OF inattcnton to the vocalsm OF Hee, In those monenS
| when clio is beguiled by her Miss Eastlako
| has no caressing tones or II she has
she did them this occasion Her dramatic sue
cess certainly was greatest at points indicative Of tho
| worst and lowest passions. The hard nsolence, the
fierce mprecaons, the heatess sneer the cruel impa-
thence of everything kind and sweet these were her most
victorious strokes She repeatedly called before the
curtain and for Mr. Barrett also the calls were humorous
and stage strewn with flowers The scenery setfor
Cto the views OF Athens and its grand parthenon
is extremely beautiful The play contains many lines
OF uncommon pungency and significance One OF these
may quoted perhaps not inaptly expressive OF It's
moral For the one error Of noble lie never par
| doned.'
| The piece Is ive-act tragedy, in blank verso.
| and 1t tells a story of life In Athens about four
| centuries prior to the Christian era, when
| he beautiful Greek city, swayed and misgoverncd
by the Thirty Tyrants, abased In slavery luxury,
and moral corruption whilst still the centre aud homo
OF all the glories OF art Its hero C an artist and
| patriot, uncoataminated by the spirit Of his ago.
would serve the equally Of beauty and OF liberty
In him IL incarnaed something OF that essential innate
virtue and nobility OF human nature which. through the
ages precedent the birth OF the Christian religion stll
moved onward toward the light and still compelled tho
general advancement Of the human race But Clao, In
his worship Of beauty cursed with the capao
y OF infauation, and through this-eycn as so many
men have fallen, and many will ever fa-be per-
shes in miserable ruin and lamentabc death This Is
| the drift OF the play
Cltos ardor as patriot has caused him head pop
ular faction intending revolt against the Tyrants OF
Athens and, In particular he has made himself con-
| spicuous and offensive by his open denuncia-
| ton OF HeAe, mistress to CTitas one or
the oppressors. This woman. royal harlot, in whose
name there Is superduOus beautiful In person.
astute In mind luxurious in fe vouptuous in tempera-
ment cruel in disposition and utterly heartoss-a nero
set appetes clothed with loneliness and endowed
with the power OF locomOon heard Of his audacity.
and In her rcsenu fury she determines 10 ruin him In
the actual lie Of the period of this play such woman.
situated might have put her dread purpose into mme-
date and violent execution without the slightest din.
Guilty. the tragedy her method is to seek him out To
dazzle him with her physical beauty to iniamG
ri. desires as ,nsS to %Aa ss hun off, Th in
contempt and aversion; Being personally unknown 70
OF success but TO herself OF deadly
revenge, she procures the aid OF Ganess one Of the
Irene the foster sister OF CHE the daughter Of an Old
pnOsorhe,5 o c named Ss r roiaro % Ii,
sstance in dlspatchng the friends of CLIO and finally
shot her Scheme to slaughter others results
for herself as well as for them In word TINS play s
the image OF wicked womans conquest and betrayal Oh
No sooner does clito behold He than he herr
he love her than he loses all sense OF right
ana justice. and at the touch OF the siren betrays the
lives of his friends and the cause OF his country Atlas
enslavcment has abascd him to such degrsdation
G cca Of and the p iss' ey rs0 Gree
helish wretch-who even while purrs him and
innocent young girl whom she proposes to betray
upon him in hdeous efrontery aud bcstis eKul
alton and hatred This E the climax o. the play irs.
her S by BY & ss mob Sars tho
Infamous courtesan and finds her wretchod suppant
sna 0G by t fs' mob Oh 'D she is san And ns
Cito. to expate his criminal breach OF faith, strikes
The piece is Constituted with almost iaultess lingo
nuty audit is written with remarkable ygor
ai MANLY and p'Rosis
did HT't The last his reeo% and his glory Act
second shows the visit OF ee " Cto and her instant
show Of luxury and %anton desht-is the picture o.
his utter surrender to the fascnatons OF volupuous
tn aSs as truth Sna nas himself
spurned by the triumphant 6awd Act nhrspidy winds
framed In scenery OF massive simplicity and architectural
opulenee. 50 that the incidental picture OF Greek life IS
Thought upon the dramatic substance Of the piece
facts though are instantly obvious This play moral
fraud IL purports to rebuke vice by painting vice rms
origin, that everything in possible human
nature which vile and everything In
ought be shown in works of In that may
thereby be reeused and condemned the garbage :ss
OF experience are good for soiet have the garbage
This Is mere e1pedient for opening the doors to dis
play OF aurtng voluptuousness No moral purpose IS
The play that made the rebuke OF vice may get
far the closet but 1t gets any further. Nobody
pays twice to hear actor recte the Ten
There are four we-known lines by old Alexander
Pope which long covered this subject and covered
it we'll The quality that makes Clito" an effective
play the glowing consciousness with which It suggests
the animal aspect Of amaory experience. Hete. aud not
Co its central character, and Hee for the greater
part the the very incarnation OF animal lowell
ness in woman triumphant over every fibre OF hie
whether physical mental spiritual, in man Further
more this play is not only humbug in morals
but humbug In intellect Nobody will deny
its ability. The makers OF 1t have made IL
exceedingly WELL But human nature Is not painted
fairly when monsters and smpletons selected
representative types Such a woman HeIie might
have existed SO did Togania aud Brnvilers But mon
exceptions. IL is not that such al
ways often have everything their way II is not
true that the nobler nature OF must always suceumb
TO passion for female siren Ana everybody knows who
has studied and thought upoa the subject that tho
world made betteras ought 10 be art and 10